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Morning News

Yugoslav Elections: Opposition Supporters Attempt to Storm Parliament

Aired October 5, 2000 - 10:31 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: We want to bring you now back to our breaking news coverage out of Yugoslavia, out of the capital of Belgrade. Alessio Vinci standing by live. Of course, there have been massive demonstrations out of Belgrade.

What do you have for us now, Alessio?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN BELGRADE BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Andria, within the last 30 minutes or so, a group of demonstrators that were gathered in front of the federal parliament tried to storm that building. And riot police coming out of the federal parliament used first their shields and then used tear gas to disperse the crowds, creating a moment of great confusion right outside that federal parliament building.

That was where tens of thousands of protesters had gathered there to hear a speech by opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica. Opposition leader Kostunica was supposed to address the crowd around 3:00, about an hour and a half ago. We understand now, according to opposition leaders, that that speech will take place at around 5:00 p.m. in about 20 minutes from now, clearly indicating that perhaps the situation in front of the parliament has returned to -- is a bit quieter now.

Earlier today, however, it appears that a group of more radical demonstrators tried to enter the federal building despite the fact that opposition leaders have been trying all along in this demonstration to appeal for calm. But a group of more radical demonstrators really break through police lines and managed to get into the federal parliament.

HALL: Alessio, we understand that police responded with tear gas to those demonstrators. Has that continued at this point, or has it ceased?

VINCI: The situation, at least at the federal parliament, appears now under control. What the police is trying to do is trying to contain those demonstrators. In the past, we have seen police being a lot harsher, a lot harder, beating harder on demonstrators, trying to not only push away the crowd, but to chase them, to really hurt them.

This time, the police are showing some restraint, not just a few minutes ago, but also earlier yesterday and yesterday when they had some clashes with the demonstrators in front of the mines about an hour south from here.

So, at this point, police is really trying to show some restraint. However, they will not tolerate -- it appears they will not tolerate the fact that demonstrators are trying to storm federal buildings, and of course also that they're going to try to march towards the area where President Milosevic lives -- Andria.

HALL: Alessio, you say that those demonstrators are waiting to hear from opposition leader Kostunica. Have we heard any word at all at this point from the government, from Mr. Milosevic?

VINCI: We have not heard from President Milosevic himself. Earlier today, state television, state-controlled television here issued a statement saying that the Democratic Opposition of Serbia was trying to create chaos and mayhem outside the federal building. They were accusing the opposition of trying to create chaos in order to unseat the government, trying to break down, trying to create chaos and provoke not just the police, but also ordinary citizens.

So we heard, at least from this point of view, the state television really trying to tell citizens that it is this time the opposition who is trying to create chaos. And certainly, from what we have seen so far, it appears that it is -- that the provocation comes from the side of the demonstrators. Police, again, is trying to contain that -- those more radical demonstrations.

I must stress to you that there are tens of thousands of people in the Republic Square in front -- sorry, in front of the federal parliament, but there are many other thousands of people scattered throughout town, especially even here outside our office. And those demonstrators there are a lot peaceful. They have been listening to announcements from opposition leaders who have their headquarters right next-door to our building here, and they are telling them to keep quiet.

Opposition leaders all along, I repeat, trying to keep this demonstration quiet. Even as demonstrators were trying to storm the building, we could hear Vladan Batic, one of the opposition leaders that was suppose to address the crowd before opposition leader Kostunica, calling for calm, saying, peace, peace, no violence, don't use any violence, do not storm the building.

So certainly, this storming of the federal parliament, this attempt to storm the federal parliament, is not an order that comes from the opposition, it is a group of demonstrators who have tried to take this matter on their own hands -- Andria.

HALL: Alessio Vinci, live in Belgrade.

Of course, both sides trying very desperately, it seems, to keep those demonstrators under control.

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